


and somewhere in the darkness, we find a glimpse of hope

by fallingforboys



Series: watch the wilted flowers stand tall again as we dare to dream [1]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: F/M, Good Theo Raeken, M/M, McCall Pack, Melissa McCall is a good mother, Post-Canon, Puppy Pack (Teen Wolf), Scott is a Good Friend, Theo Raeken & Brett Talbot Friendship, Theo Raeken is Liam Dunbar's Anchor, Theo Raeken is Part of the Pack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-14
Updated: 2021-01-16
Packaged: 2021-03-18 11:08:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 15,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28742277
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fallingforboys/pseuds/fallingforboys
Summary: Theo could think of a hundred places he’d rather be than at the sheriff’s station at five in the morning, watching said sheriff yell at his deputies.Unfortunately for him, the universe seemed to have a very justifiable vendetta against him.
Relationships: Alec/Lori Talbot, Chris Argent/Melissa McCall, Cora Hale/Isaac Lahey, Corey Bryant/Mason Hewitt, Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Ethan/Jackson Whittemore, Jordan Parrish/Original Female Character(s), Liam Dunbar/Theo Raeken, Nolan/Brett Talbot, Scott McCall/Malia Tate
Series: watch the wilted flowers stand tall again as we dare to dream [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2107209
Comments: 48
Kudos: 180





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Finally starting a new series ahhh

Theo could think of a hundred places he’d rather be than at the sheriff’s station at five in the morning, watching said sheriff yell at his deputies. 

Unfortunately for him, the universe seemed to have a very justifiable vendetta against him.

“You all have known for _months_ , and said _nothing_ to me?” Noah’s face was so red, if Theo was in a better mood, he would’ve made a joke that probably would’ve gotten him kicked out of the station.

The three deputies stood shocked. One of them turned to Theo indignantly. “But he’s-  
  


“I don’t _care_ who he is. He’s just a _boy_ ,” the sheriff said, running a hand down his face. Theo felt a flush rise up on his neck. He was seriously considering sneaking out of the room when Noah spoke again.

“Get out of here, all of you. But you’re on _thin ice_.” The deputies scurried out of the office, throwing angry glares at the chimera, as if it was his fault he was homeless. Well, it sort of was, Theo thought.

The sheriff turned to him, looking exhausted. “Why didn’t you tell anyone?”

Theo looked at him dryly. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe because no one would give a shit,” he deadpanned. 

Noah sighed. “Theo, no matter what you did, no one should be living out of their truck, least of all a kid. And plus, you’ve been doing better on the whole don’t-kill-people thing. We could’ve _helped_ you.”

The chimera crossed his arms and sank back into his seat. “I’m fine on my own.”

“ _No_ , you’re not. Get up, we’re leaving.” The sheriff gave him no choice, grabbing Theo’s arm and dragging him to his car. 

“Where are we going? And I’m _not_ leaving my truck,” Theo declared. That truck was the only thing he had left, and he’d die before abandoning it.

“You can pick it up later, it’ll still be here,” Noah responded, ignoring his first question, and got into the driver’s seat of the police cruiser. 

Five minutes later, they were pulling up to Scott’s house. Great, now the alpha’s gonna be involved. 

_The alpha that you killed_ , Theo’s conscience politely reminded him. The chimera gave a mental middle finger to his newfound conscience and got out of the car.

The sheriff knocked on the door, and Melissa opened it yawning, looking confused at why they were there this early in the morning. 

“Noah? Theo? What are you doing here?” She blinked and her face grew serious. “Did something happen?”

The commotion must have woken up the other two in the house, because Theo could sense both of them coming down the stairs. He cast his eyes to the ground when he saw Argent and Scott looking at him questioningly. 

“Uh, no. Nothing like that. But,” the sheriff glanced at Theo out of the corner of his eyes, “we need to talk.”

Melissa invited them in, and they settled in the living room. Well, everyone else settled. Theo stood to the side, shoulders tensed and feet ready to run if the situation called for it.

“Theo, what are you doing here? Why are you awake at,” Scott grabbed his phone and checked the time, “5:30 in the morning?”

The chimera almost snorted. He was _always_ awake at this time- his nightmares didn’t let him rest peacefully and that combined with being rudely awakened by deputies whenever they caught him sleeping in his truck pretty much guaranteed that he was awake at the crack of dawn.

Noah answered for him. “Did you know he was living in his truck?”

Melissa’s soft gasp answered the sheriff’s question without words. Scott’s eyebrows were furrowed, and Theo could smell a hint of confusion and guilt coming from the alpha. Theo didn’t know why he felt guilty- it wasn’t like he knew and it’s not like Theo didn’t deserve it. Argent, as always, was stoic, but the chimera could sense his confusion that he tried to hide. 

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Theo turned his eyes to Scott, who true to his protect-everyone nature, seemed annoyed that he hadn’t known.

“Like you would’ve cared,” the chimera retorted bluntly. “I’m not a part of the pack, and after everything I did, it was probably better for everyone if I stayed awa-”

“Theo, you’re pack,” Scott cut him off, looking at him skeptically. “Did you really think that you weren’t? You helped us with the ghost riders and the hunters, and without you, I’m not completely sure Liam would’ve stayed in control.”

The younger boy (because yes, he was in Scott’s grade, but he had skipped a grade, making him closer to the members of the Puppy Pack in age than to the alpha) tensed at the mention of the beta. There was a reason he had rushed to the hospital so quickly after Scott had told him Liam was there alone, and Theo didn’t want to admit what it was to himself yet.

On a side note, it seemed that the alpha had figured out that Theo was his beta’s anchor. The chimera knew already, and he was sure the Puppy Pack knew, but he hadn’t known that the older pack _also_ knew. 

Melissa was looking at Theo with a look that he discerned as pity. “Theo, Beacon Hills is your _home_ , we’re your _pack_. Sure, you weren’t the _best_ person in the past,” the chimera snorted at the understatement, “ _but_ , you’ve made up for it.”

She walked over to where Theo was standing, forcing him onto one of the couches. “You don’t think I see the way you help the Puppy Pack, even though you have no reason to? You could’ve hightailed it out of here after the war, even _during_ it, but you _stayed_. You stayed and now you need to give us a chance to help _you_ ,” she finished, placing a hand on the chimera’s cheek in comfort. 

Theo unconsciously leaned into her touch before he realized what he was doing, and pulled away abruptly. “You guys don’t need to pretend to care-”

“We’re not pretending Theo,” Scott said, cutting him off _again_. “We _care_. You’re pack whether you like it or not, and pack takes care of each other.” A flash of amusement passed through the alpha’s eyes. “What do you think Liam will say when he finds out, huh? You think he’ll just let this go?”

Theo’s cheeks turned red. Turns out Scott knew more than just Theo being Liam’s anchor. The tension between Theo and Liam was something that was widely ignored by both boys, though the Puppy Pack had commented on it many, many times.

“You’re staying here,” Melissa announced suddenly, and Theo’s eyes snapped to her in surprise. “Isaac’s old room is still empty, and with Scott leaving for college soon, it’ll be nice to not have an empty house.”

Theo glanced at Argent. _Empty house?_

The nurse seemed to catch onto Theo’s thoughts, because she laughed and looked at her boyfriend. “I meant empty as in no teenagers. Chris isn’t going anywhere,” she explained with twinkling eyes.

Noah slapped his hands on his knees, and stood up. “Well, looks like my work here is done. Hey kid?” He put a hand on Theo’s shoulder and looked into his eyes. “You’ve changed. Don’t forget that,” he reminded him and walked out, and Theo heard the sound of his car starting up and driving away.

“You’d really let me stay here?” Theo asked hesitantly, turning back to the three in the house. He knows what he did was not something that could be forgiven easily- there was a reason he got sent to hell- and he felt like all of this was his brain playing a cruel trick on him. He was still waiting for the sound of a knock on his truck window to wake him up. 

Melissa sighed. “Come here,” she said, and that was the only warning Theo got before he was suddenly wrapped in her arms. “You deserve this, okay sweetie? From now on, you’re my son. And don’t even try to argue, because I’m pretty good with a taser, and I’m _not_ afraid to use it,” she finished with narrow eyes. 

Scott laughed and looked at Theo. “I wouldn’t test her on that,” he grinned. “Welcome to the family.”

Theo’s brain had pretty much given up after Scott told him he was pack, and he was stunned at how easily Scott and Melissa accepted him. There was no way Theo wasn’t dreaming. 

“Scott, come help me with the sheets for Theo’s bed,” Melissa called out as she made her way upstairs, and the alpha obediently followed. And Theo was stressed again, because he was left with Argent. Alone. 

Theo felt the former hunter’s stare on him, but he didn’t look up. Until he started to speak.

“You’ve made a lot of mistakes, and I haven’t forgotten that. But,” Argent broke off, sighing. “So have I. And this pack, they’re good at forgiving. At seeing the best in people. The person I used to be isn’t someone I’m proud of, and I’m grateful that Scott helped me see that.”

Theo was bewildered at the former hunter’s sudden openness, and he watched as Argent gently smiled at him. “You had no reason to stay and help the Puppy Pack, but you did. That means _something_.”

The chimera opened his mouth to respond, but he was cut off by Scott and Melissa coming down the stairs.

“Your room’s all set. Get some rest. I have a feeling you’ll have an-” Scott glanced at Argent mischievously, " _interesting_ day when you wake up.”

Theo glanced between them confused.

Argent smirked. “I texted Liam right after Melissa decided that you’re staying here. I’m assuming he’s still sleeping since he hasn’t responded yet, but it’s only a matter of time,” he drawled, and turned to Melissa. “Remind me to record that.”

The chimera’s mouth dropped open in surprise. Argent always seemed so _emotionless_ and _cold_ in pack meetings, and seeing him joke around threw Theo for a loop. 

And then his brain caught up with what the hunter had said, and he flushed. Deeply. 

__________________________________

For the first time in months, Theo slept in a comfortable bed. And when he woke up, he actually felt _refreshed_. 

He headed downstairs to find Scott, Melissa, and Argent sitting in the kitchen, since Melissa didn't have to go in today as it was the weekend. Scott was texting someone, and by his soft smile, Theo assumed it was Malia. Melissa was flipping a pancake, waving a spatula around as she explained something that had happened at the hospital the day before to her boyfriend, and Argent was slowly sipping his coffee. 

“Morning,” Melissa said, smiling at the chimera as he walked in. “Are pancakes okay for breakfast?”

Theo faltered. He hadn’t had a warm breakfast in _years_. “Uh, um yeah. That sounds good.”

Everyone went back to what they were doing, and the silence was _comfortable_ , and Theo quietly took in the feeling of _family_.

Until the front door slammed open and Theo heard heavy footsteps making their way to the kitchen. A second listen confirmed that there were definitely multiple people that had entered. 

Theo looked around panicked, because he _knew_ that scent like the back of his hand, but the three people in front of him were in no rush to help. Scott had a wide grin on his face, and Melissa had abandoned the pancakes to watch with eager eyes. And Argent had apparently remembered what he said hours before, because he had his phone out, pointed at the chimera. 

“Liam-”

The werewolf stormed over and punched him in the nose before he could finish his sentence. Theo felt his nose crack and groaned, getting out of his chair to avoid dripping blood on the counter. He quickly grabbed the napkins Melissa handed him and wiped his face.

“I tried to hold him back, but I don’t exactly have superhuman strength,” the chimera heard Mason say from somewhere in front of him, and he looked up to see the _entire_ Puppy Pack standing in the kitchen. Liam was fuming as expected, but the other teenagers looked pissed too. Mason, though joking seconds before, had a disapproving look on his face and Corey’s eyes were narrowed. Brett had his arms crossed and Theo could feel his temper rising. The tall werewolf was someone he’d gotten pretty close to after sticking around in Beacon Hills, and the chimera knew that he was furious at him for not telling him. Even Nolan and Lori had accusing glares on their faces as they stared at him.

“What the _fuck_ is wrong with you?” Liam’s voice rang out in the silent kitchen, as the werewolf continued to glower at Theo. “What the _fuck_ were you thinking?”

“What are you talking ab-”

“Oh, _shut up_ ,” Theo turned in surprise to Brett, whose voice was strained as if he was trying _really_ hard not to yell. “You’ve been with us for _months_ , and you didn’t think to _tell_ us?”

Theo tried to explain himself. Key word: tried.

He had gotten less than one word out before Liam cut him off. 

“No, you don’t _get_ to talk. You’re just gonna stand there and _listen_ , because I have a lot of things to say, and I am _this_ close to breaking your nose a second time,” he barked, holding his fingers out in front. Theo didn’t want to think about what the fact that there was no space between Liam’s index finger and thumb meant. 

“You’re _pack_ , you’re our _friend_ ,” Theo noticed Mason’s mouth tilt up slightly at _friend_ , but Liam’s low growl brought his attention back to the beta. “Are you even _listening_?”

The werewolf stepped closer to Theo, and gave him a light shove. “You’re _pack_.” Another shove. “Our _friend_.” Shove. “How could you _ever_ think that we wouldn’t care?” Shove.

Theo’s back hit the wall, but Liam didn’t stop. He moved closer, jabbing a finger into Theo’s chest. “We would’ve _helped_.” Poke. “We would’ve done _something_.” Poke. Theo absentmindedly wondered if Liam’s finger hurt from the sheer force he was using to poke the chimera.

The older boy’s breath hitched when the werewolf stood up a little straighter, putting them eye-to-eye. “You’re a fucking _dumbass_ if you think we wouldn’t care about you.”

Their breath mingled, Liam close enough that Theo could count the speckles of gold sparkling in his eyes, the only indication that the werewolf was struggling with his control.

“You need to calm down, Liam,” Theo whispered, “You’re shifting.”

The werewolf stared at him incredulously for a second, but then his eyes dropped to Theo’s lips, and the mood suddenly shifted. “I heard this theory from Lydia a while ago,” Liam said, breathless. “Something about kissing helping with focus.” Theo vaguely heard someone whispering, but his brain was _not_ capable of focusing on that when Liam was _right there_.

Liam looked back into Theo’s eyes and a small smirk lifted the corner of his mouth, and Theo could feel his heart about to beat out of his chest. “Wanna test it out?” 

And before Theo could nod eagerly, Liam closed the distance. _Holy shit_. His senses were all attacked with just _Liam_ , and Theo was in _heaven_.

Until he heard a pointed cough and a dry voice. “I’m glad that you two _finally_ worked that out, but could you save this for another time and give us a turn to yell at Theo now?” 

The two boys jumped apart at Brett’s voice, the tips of Liam’s ears turning pink, and Theo could feel the heat coming off of his own cheeks. They had both somehow managed to forget that the _whole_ pack was watching them the entire time. Fortunately, they all seemed happy at the development. 

Mason was grinning hysterically and was actually _vibrating_ with excitement, and if not for Corey’s hand attached to his, Theo would’ve thought he would actually _jump_ up and down. Speaking of the other chimera, Corey had just as big a smile on his face. Nolan and Lori were beaming, and Brett was smirking. _For fuck’s sake_ , Theo was never going to hear the end of this from the blond werewolf. 

His new _family_ (Theo was never going to get used to that word) was just as delighted. Scott had an amused glint in his eye, and the phone in his hand made it clear that he had taken at least one picture of what had happened. The corners of Melissa’s lips were quirked upward, and her eyes were sparkling. And Argent _still_ had his phone pointed at the two boys, but Theo could see his smile.

Theo shifted awkwardly from all the attention. “So, does this mean I’m forgiven?” he asked the younger pack members, attempting to turn the conversation away from him and Liam. 

“Uh, _no_ ,” Corey emphasized, his smiling fading for a second, before widening again. “And to make it up to us, you can give us rides to school. Every day. As a _start_.” 

Theo gaped at the younger boy, who seemed proud of blackmailing the older chimera. The rest of the pack made noises of assent and Theo knew that he would be getting no choice in the matter.

And he realized that he was okay with that.

Even if the next twenty minutes consisted of him being screamed at by every Puppy Pack member.


	2. Chapter 2

Scott had left for some assignment with Derek and Argent a couple of days ago, so when he, accompanied by Argent, rushed through the front door while Theo was casually lounging on the couch, the chimera was confused. The alpha had told him that the operation would take at least four days, and Theo hadn’t been expecting him until the weekend. 

However, the figure behind him revealed the cause of Scott’s arrival. 

“You pick up another stray?” The kid, who had been using Scott as a shield, growled at Theo’s question.

Scott threw a disapproving glance at the chimera. “His name’s Alec. We found him on the outskirts of the town we went to. His family was-” The alpha hesitated, and Theo didn’t need the rest of the sentence to figure out what had happened. “He’s gonna be staying here.”

The alpha placed a hand on the young werewolf’s shoulder, and Theo could _visibly_ see him relax and he understood why- Scott had that effect on most people. “Alec, this is Theo. He lives here too, along with me, Argent, and my mom,” the alpha explained gently.

Alec looked at Theo, and the chimera could sense him trying to decide whether to trust him or not after his first comment. Living at the McCall’s had apparently made Theo go soft, because the next words out of his mouth were “You hungry?”

The werewolf looked startled at the question before nodding slightly. Theo got up and headed into the kitchen. Although living in his truck had prevented him from showing off his skills, the chimera was actually a fairly good cook. He had to take care of himself somehow when he lived with the Dread Doctors, because they weren’t exactly the sit-around-the-table-for-family-dinner type of people. 

He was in the process of cracking an egg onto the pan when Argent walked in. 

“You’ve gone soft,” the hunter remarked, a small smirk on his face.

Theo snorted. “Like you can talk. All it takes is one word from Melissa and you drop everything.”

Argent shook his head, laughing, before suddenly growing quiet. Theo looked up from the pan to see him staring intently at the chimera. He raised an eyebrow in question.

“Scott… he’s always been too caring for his own good. He took one look at Alec and I knew we would be taking him in. But-” Argent looked in the direction of the living room. “He can’t do everything on his own. He’s going off to college soon, he won’t even be here. It’s… it’s going to be hard for him.”

Theo contemplated the former hunter’s words. He could see the truth in them. As much as Scott would probably have liked to stay here and help Alec adjust, he couldn’t. Theo knew that responsibility would fall to him, and two weeks ago, he probably would’ve hated it. But he’s experienced what _family_ felt like, and he knew that losing that would've been tough on Alec. And so he made a decision.

“He’s got us,” Theo said quietly, and although Argent was talking about Scott, the chimera’s words were for Alec. “He’s got _me_.”

Argent blinked a few times quickly and moved his head back slightly. “You really have changed, haven’t you? We should’ve brought you here months ago.” 

The chimera smiled weakly. Having a proper living situation before probably _would’ve_ helped his attitude. Theo placed the omelette he had just made onto a plate, and carried it out to Alec, who was listening carefully to what Scott was saying. 

When Scott realized that Theo had only made food for the younger werewolf, he stopped talking and let out a noise that the chimera distinguished as betrayal.

“Where’s _mine_? It’s been _days_ since I had your cooking, and I swear, you make eggs better than my mom,” the alpha quickly looked over at Argent, who was leaning in the doorway. “Don’t tell her I said that.”

Theo laughed, blushing slightly at the genuine compliment. “Don’t worry, next time I’ll send you off with a week’s worth of omelettes,” he teased. 

Scott shoved the chimera’s shoulder, and it still was so strange to Theo how quickly he had adapted to the family- Scott treated him like the brother he never had (not taking into account Stiles of course) and Theo had slipped into the role so easily. 

Theo’s phone buzzed in his pocket, pulling him out of his thoughts. He looked down and the corners of his mouth turned up.

“I’m assuming that’s Liam, based on your lovestruck expression,” Scott snickered, and Theo threw a pillow at him. 

“He’s coming over, with the Puppy Pack. Apparently, he saw you guys on the road when he was leaving school, and said-” Theo looked down at his phone again and read his boyfriend’s text, “Scott’s gonna get a piece of my mind for leaving without telling me first.”

Liam was the absolute _worst_ at being left out- he needed to know what was going on at all times, and Scott taking off without a word made him _furious_. Theo had to kiss him to get him to stop his ranting (not that he was complaining).

The front door opened loudly, and Theo heard a growl. “Scott, where the hell are you?”

The alpha jumped up, and ran behind Theo’s chair quietly hissing, “Hide me!”

The high schoolers all entered the room, Liam’s mouth quirking up when he saw Theo. The werewolf knew Scott was there, he had a supernatural nose for fuck’s sake, but he raised an eyebrow at the chimera. Theo pointed behind him with a smile on his face, giving away the alpha’s not-so-great hiding spot. 

Liam tiptoed over to Theo, trying his best to make sure Scott didn’t realize he found him. He pulled a water bottle out of his school bag and opened it, and Theo’s eyes widened. 

Before he could say anything however, Liam had already reached the chair and dumped the water on the alpha. 

Scott spluttered, taken by surprise, and popped out from behind the chair. Giggles erupted among the pack, and even Alec, who was nervous at the sight of so many new people, had a small smile on his face. 

“You traitor,” Scott grumbled at Theo, after he dried his face with his shirt. “I should’ve known you wouldn’t keep a secret from Liam.”

“That was your first mistake,” Brett informed the alpha, making himself at home on one of the couches. “Your second was thinking we couldn’t hear you when you said ‘hide me.’ For a true alpha, you sure do forget about supernatural hearing a lot.”

The blond werewolf squawked as a pillow hit him in the face. “I’m the one who let you in the pack, I can kick you out just as fast,” Scott warned him, but his sparkling eyes made it clear he was just joking.

Theo watched as the pack settled in, casual conversation starting up. Suddenly, he remembered what it was like when he was first part of the pack- the sheer number of people had been overwhelming- and he glanced at Alec to make sure he was okay. The younger werewolf, however, seemed captivated by someone else in the room. 

Lori. 

And Theo hasn’t had a younger brother for that long (it’s been less than half an hour, honestly) but he knew that making fun of a sibling’s crush was like a rite of passage. But just as the chimera opened his mouth to draw everyone’s attention to the new werewolf, Nolan laughed loudly, and Theo saw Alec flinch slightly. 

It was subtle, a movement so slight, Theo wasn’t sure anyone else even noticed, but the chimera had been trained to read body language, and right now, Alec was _scared_. And Scott seemed to have a brain fart or something, cause he hadn’t even introduced the newest pack member to the others.

“Guys,” Theo started, moving over to sit next to Alec, and nudged him lightly with his shoulder. “This is Alec. Alec,” he gestured vaguely around the room, “meet everyone. Well, not _everyone_. The rest of the pack’s in college, but you’ll meet them eventually.”

Alec gave the room a small wave, and the pack just stared at him. For fuck's sake, they were acting like they’d never seen a person before in their life, Theo thought.

“So Scott decided that since Theo’s fully accommodated here, he needs a new stray to liven this place up a bit?” Brett asked sarcastically.

There was a reason Brett and Theo got along so well- they were both a little too rude for their own good, sarcastic in times they probably shouldn’t be, and had a _very_ similar thought process. Theo inwardly smiled when he heard the tall werewolf say something along the lines of what he had said not even thirty minutes ago. But outwardly, he gave Brett a chastising look, and Theo knew that if someone compared it to the one Scott gave _him_ before, they would be identical. 

“Ignore Brett, he’s been an asshole ever since Nolan here refused to go on a date with him,” Lori told Alec, and Theo could _see_ the boy melting under her smile. “I’m Lori,” she said, looking pointedly at her brother.

Brett, who had grumbled at the reminder that the guy he liked rejected him (Theo knew that Nolan reciprocated the feelings; however, the human had been getting advice from Liam, whose only lesson was to play hard to get- Theo clearly needed to have a quick talk with Nolan about his apparent lapse of judgement), quietly muttered his name and went back to sulking. 

The rest of the Puppy Pack happily introduced themselves, and as the time passed, Alec slowly got more and more comfortable in their presence. Theo was in the middle of listening to Liam and Brett, who were trying to convince him that their new biology teacher was evil, when Scott caught his eye and tilted his head slightly in the direction of the kitchen. 

Theo slyly slipped out of the room, with the excuse of bringing out some snacks for the hungry teenagers. He squinted at Scott in confusion when he entered the kitchen, making his way to the pantry to grab food. 

“You’re good at this,” the alpha noted, and Theo turned to him with a blank expression. “With Alec,” Scott clarified, looking at the chimera with a… _proud_ expression? “If I hadn’t known you before, I never would’ve guessed you’re the same person who tried to kill me last year.”

Theo felt a very conflicting combination of guilt and joy swirl in his chest, and judging by the way Scott’s nose squirmed, the alpha picked up on his dilemma. 

“You’re not that Theo anymore,” Scott said firmly, not even giving the chimera a chance to apologize. “That Theo would never have gone out of his way to make sure the new kid was comfortable when meeting his _pack_. Alec’s in good hands with you.”

Theo fought the blush that threatened to take over his face. “It wasn’t a big deal, I just saw that he was a little nervous, that’s all.” 

“And then you _helped_ him,” Scott asserted. “That’s what being a pack is all about, what being a _brother_ is all about.” The alpha clapped a hand on his back. “Take care of him when I’m gone, Theo.”

And Theo knew that he would.


	3. Chapter 3

“But he doesn’t like me,” Brett whined, and Theo was seriously beginning to consider stabbing himself with the knife he was using to chop up vegetables. The werewolf had been ranting about his unrequited feelings for Nolan for an hour, and Theo was on the verge of going back to his murderous roots. 

“Brett!” Theo finally yelled, cutting off the beginning of _another_ rant. “You say jump, and Nolan would grab your hand and ask how high. He _likes_ you. Now _please_ stop talking.”

His friend blinked a few times, processing the chimera’s words. Just when Theo thought the werewolf had finally comprehended that his feelings were very much _not_ unrequited, Brett opened his mouth again. “But he turned me down!” he exclaimed, and Theo put the knife down. It was _far_ too tempting. 

He turned around and placed both his hands on the counter in front of the werewolf. “Brett, _listen to me_. You’d have to be blind to not see that Nolan has feelings for you. And even then, you can _still_ tell if you’re supernatural,” Theo said, sighing. If this was what Mason and Corey went through when him and Liam were still in their mutual pining phase, he needed to go and treat them to a nice dinner or something. Because this shit was _frustrating_. 

“Then why’d he _turn me down?_ ” Brett asked, hints of vulnerability and desperation seeping into his voice.

“Because Nolan’s an _idiot_ , and went to Liam for advice. And Liam, being an even _bigger_ idiot, told him the best way to play this was to play hard to get.” Theo really needed to have a chat with Nolan about what he was thinking going to _Liam_ for this. He could’ve picked _anyone_ in the Puppy Pack and it would’ve been a better choice. 

“Your boyfriend sucks,” Brett declared bluntly, and the older boy smirked at the opening. 

“ _Yeah_ , he does.” The werewolf wrinkled his nose at Theo’s suggestive tone.

“Gross, I didn’t need to know that,” he said, gagging. “What are you making?”

Word of Theo’s cooking skills had spread far and wide- even reaching _Stiles_ on the other side of the country- so Melissa decided to host a pack party for the holidays. This way, the whole pack would be together for the first time in months _and_ they’d all get to try Theo’s cooking. It’s a win-win, Melissa had said when she first mentioned it to the chimera. 

It seemed like a good idea at the time, but right now, Theo was struggling to juggle three recipes at once. And Brett was no help at all, as expected. 

Theo exhaled, closing his eyes for a second to calm down. When he was finally back in control, he answered the werewolf’s question. “Lasagna, chicken stir fry, and apple pie.”

“You’re making all three at the _same time_?” Brett asked incredulously, an eyebrow raised. 

Theo nodded, as he checked on the lasagna in the oven.

“Is there a reason you chose those three in particular?” Brett’s voice was teasing, and the chimera knew that he already knew the answer. He felt a flush making its way up on the back of his neck.

Lasagna was Liam’s favorite food, and he _always_ asks Theo to make it for him. Chicken stir fry was Brett’s and he had never made it for his friend before. And Alec mentioned last week that every Christmas, his mom would make apple pie. The young werewolf had retreated into a solemn mood for a while after that conversation, and Theo vowed to make him feel at least a little better. He was in no way convinced that his pie would be as good as the one Alec’s mom had made, but at least it would remind the werewolf a little bit of home during the first holiday season without his family. 

And he would never admit any of this to _anyone_ , but Brett knew Theo almost _too_ well.

“You tell anyone, and I’ll tell Nolan you have a boyfriend,” he mumbled, taking the apple pie out of the oven to let it cool down as Brett snickered. 

The pack would be here soon, and he still wasn’t even dressed. He couldn’t even go up to quickly shower, because Brett was the only one in the house, and was the last person Theo would _ever_ trust in the kitchen. 

Scott had gone to pick up Stiles, Derek, Lydia, and Jackson, Ethan, and Isaac from the airport, and Alec was over at Liam’s with the rest of the Puppy Pack. The only reason they weren’t hanging out _here_ was that Theo kicked them all out when one of the grapes that Alec and Nolan had started throwing to try and catch in their mouth landed in the stir fry. The chimera had never seen the pack run as fast as they had when they saw his enraged face after that happened. 

Melissa and Argent were both at the store, picking up some last minute snacks and alcohol- Melissa saying she wouldn’t be sober when dealing with a full house of mostly teenage boys. Stiles _alone_ gave me premature gray hairs, she had told him, can you imagine what all of you _together_ would do?

The timer for the lasagna _finally_ went off five minutes later, and Theo quickly placed it on the counter before rushing upstairs to get ready. 

“Brett, open the door if anyone comes,” Theo called as he ran up and heard a vague grunt from the werewolf. Good enough, he thought.

__________________________________

The house was _packed_. Theo snorted quietly at his unintended pun. But seriously, everywhere he turned, there was _someone_ there. Argent had decided that the pack party should include _everyone_ , so in addition to the already large number of teenagers, there was also Liam’s parents, the sheriff, Lydia’s mom, Parrish, and even Peter. 

Saying the house was crowded was a _severe_ understatement. 

But despite all of that, Theo was having fun. His food had been a major success- he’s had everyone from Parrish to Dr. Geyer to _Malia_ compliment him on his cooking. Brett had smirked when Liam gasped at the lasagna, but Theo pointedly looked at Nolan, raising his brow in a _You really want to do this?_ at the werewolf.

He also met Jackson, Ethan, and Isaac. Of course, he already knew who they were thanks to his extensive research he did on the McCall pack last year. Ethan was welcoming, telling Theo and Alec that he’s glad to see some new faces in the pack. Jackson, however, seemed to match Theo and Brett’s level of sarcasm and rudeness, with an added bonus of extreme arrogance. 

Lydia had commented that Theo, Brett, Jackson, and Stiles were all the same person in different fonts and Stiles had screeched in indignation at being compared to the “extremely gay, morally gray trio." Stiles’s words, not his.

Isaac was _very_ different from what Theo expected. He knew that the werewolf’s childhood was messed up with his dad and the whole locked in a freezer in the basement thing. But the blond showed no evidence of any of that. He was outgoing, always laughing with someone from the older pack. When Isaac made his way to Theo, he contemplated running for a second, because he _had_ moved into the beta’s old room, but the werewolf grinned widely, and Theo willed his feet to stay.

“Theo, right?” the werewolf asked casually, and the chimera nodded. “Heard you moved in. How’s having Argent as a dad?” 

Theo laughed at the question, because he had never expected in a million years that he would ever consider Argent family, but here he was, considering Argent family. “Not too bad,” he replied, his eyes sparkling. “He was excited to see you today. Still has a soft spot for his first adopted kid.” 

The chimera nudged the tall werewolf. “You ever thought about coming back?”

Isaac sighed, his grin dimming. “Yeah, I have. But,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck, “there’s so many memories here, you know? And yeah, there’s a lot of good ones, but there’s just as many bad ones.”

Theo noticed the way the older boy’s eyes had slightly glazed over, like he was stuck in a memory. The chimera knew what he was referencing- a ghost that hung over the pack, but one that was never mentioned. _Allison_. 

“I know what you mean,” Theo started slowly, pulling Isaac gently out of the past, “After the war, I almost left. So many things happened here, things that still haunt me, and I just wanted to _run_. But Beacon Hills is our _home_. And I had a lot of people remind me of that.” The chimera looked at Isaac’s torn expression. “And I’m reminding _you_. It’s never going to be safe here, and the past won’t just disappear. But, you can always make more memories. _Happy_ ones.”

“You’re a lot different from what I expected,” Isaac noted after a few moments, a grateful look on his face.

Theo chuckled. “Well, blame the McCalls. There’s just something about them,” he responded, seeing Scott making his way over to them. “They take in all the lost strays and make them human again.”

The alpha, who had reached the boys and heard what Theo said, threw an arm over Theo’s shoulder. “Damn right we do. Oh and Isaac,” Scott said, turning to the beta, “I don’t think you’re ever gonna be able to leave. Argent seems dead set on keeping you in Beacon Hills- he even mentioned that he’s gonna give you the key to his old apartment.”

Isaac’s eyes widened. “He’s giving me his _apartment_?”

Scott laughed at Isaac’s surprised expression. “Yeah, he is. So don’t think you can run this time,” and the alpha’s smile faded a bit, “You belong here. And we’ll keep telling you that until you believe it.”

Theo watched as a hesitant smile made its way onto Isaac’s face. Yeah, he’d be okay. 

__________________________________

  
  


“I never thanked you for making lasagna today,” Liam mumbled into Theo’s chest. 

The party had died down a few hours ago, and while the adults had gone back to their separate houses, the teens all decided to just crash at the McCall house. Everyone had fallen asleep, taking up pretty much every inch of the living room. 

“You don’t have to thank me for that. I didn’t make it for _you_ ,” Theo lied, hoping Liam wasn’t listening to his heartbeat.

Liam snorted. “Yeah, _okay_. Like how you didn’t make the stir fry for Brett and the apple pie for Alec. You’re not _that_ subtle.”

The chimera blushed. 

“I think it’s cute,” the werewolf continued, intertwining his fingers with Theo’s. “You’ve gone completely soft. And it’s _adorable_.”

“Shut up,” Theo grumbled. “If anyone else in the pack finds out, I’m gonna kill Brett, then you, and then myself.”

“Better start sharpening your knife then,” a voice called out, and Theo froze.

He sat up, Liam yelping as he was pushed off, and saw Stiles smirking at him. _Of course it was Stiles_. 

“Never took you as sentimental,” Stiles continued, his eyes glinting with amusement. “I’m _never_ letting you live this one down, I hope you know that.”

“Fuck off.” 

“Nope.”

Stiles squawked as Theo threw his pillow at his head, and the loud noise woke up the sleeping pack members. 

“Why is there a pillow fight going on at,” Alec mumbled sleepily, pausing to yawn, “at 3 in the morning?”

“Theo here was explaining something," Stiles teased. " _Apparently_ , the foo-”

Theo leapt up and tackled Stiles, his hand covering the human’s mouth. If the rest of the pack wasn’t awake before, they definitely were now. 

Stiles squirmed, trying to kick the chimera off of him, but Theo was stronger, and finally, Stiles stopped fighting. 

And licked Theo’s palm. 

The chimera immediately pulled his hand back. “What the fuck? That was _disgusting_ , Stiles.”

“Well I don’t have the muscles to beat you,” the human retorted, sitting up, “I gotta use the resources I _do_ have.”

“Yeah, I bet Derek appreciates _that_ resource. A lot,” Brett called out, wiggling his eyebrows, and both Derek and Stiles flushed at the innuendo. Snickers broke out among the pack, until Scott eventually forced everyone to be quiet and go back to sleep. 

Theo lay back down, Liam flopping over him onto his chest. As the werewolf’s breathing slowly steadied, his heartbeat a constant drum, Theo’s eyes closed, and he drifted off into a peaceful sleep. 


	4. Chapter 4

Two months later, Theo sighed as he stood in the pouring rain, holding a boombox, which was currently blasting a love song. 

“When I said I would help you ask Lori to the dance, this is _not_ what I meant,” he muttered to Alec, who was nervously shifting back and forth, holding a bouquet in his hands. The young werewolf had recently watched some cheesy rom-com that Theo couldn’t bother learning the name of, and decided that _this_ was the only way to ask his crush to the dance. 

The two were currently in front of Brett and Lori’s apartment building waiting for any sign of their friends. Theo knew that the two werewolves were home- he confirmed it with Brett almost fifty times due to Alec’s pestering.

Lori _finally_ stepped out onto the balcony of the apartment, and since they lived on the second floor, it wasn’t too high. 

“Lori,” Alec began, his voice cracking on the second syllable, and Theo struggled not to laugh. One quick glance upward confirmed that his best friend was in the same boat. “Will- will you go to homecoming with me?”

She looked at Alec, who had pushed the flowers in his hand upward towards her. Her eyes flicked back to the anxious werewolf, and the corners of her mouth slowly lifted. “Duh, I can’t believe it took you this long.”

Theo watched as Alec let out a visible sigh of relief. “Dude, go up there. Why are you still here?” the chimera asked, and the younger boy rushed into the building. Theo looked at Brett and rolled his eyes.

“I have a feeling you’re not gonna want to be in that apartment when Alec gets there,” Theo called out, and Brett scrunched up his nose in agreement. Before Theo could say anything else, the werewolf jumped off the balcony and landed next to him. 

Theo raised an eyebrow at his friend. “Are the stairs broken?” he asked wryly.

“Let’s go before I have to hear my little sister kissing that dumb werewolf,” Brett drawled, ignoring Theo’s question.

Theo shoved Brett as they walked to his truck. “That dumb werewolf is my brother.”

“Yeah whatever.” Brett’s smile dropped as they got into the truck. “You talk to Scott?”

Theo felt something ache in his chest. “Yeah, I’ve been trying not to think about it.”

The alpha had texted the pack an hour ago, telling them that there had been a witch attack on him, and he had been hurt. The pack group chat had _exploded_ , everyone scared and concerned. 

Melissa had _immediately_ called her son, Theo, Alec, and Argent leaning over her shoulder, and Scott assured them that he wasn’t hurt that bad. The chimera could tell that he was lying- he saw the way Scott would wince with ever slight movement that he made. 

“Is he coming back for the weekend?” Brett asked quietly, clearly also affected by what had happened. The entire pack was affected by Scott’s attack- however minor it may be, the supernaturals of the pack had _some_ connection with their alpha, and Scott being hurt tugged at that connection.

“No,” Theo sighed. Melissa had been furious at Scott, but he was stubborn. He had some lab on Monday and refused to leave campus. “Malia’s going up there, and Scott said that he’d be fine.”

Theo pulled into the McCall driveway, and the two boys made their way inside. 

“Do you know why she even attacked you?” Argent’s voice pierced the air, and Theo and Brett walked into the kitchen to see him on Facetime with Scott. 

“No,” Scott exhaled slowly, and Theo heard the hitch in his breath from the pain. “It was so sudden, I barely had time to se- Theo!” Scott cut himself off when he noticed the chimera walk on camera. 

He and Brett waved at the alpha. “Where’s Alec?” Scott asked them, noting the absence of the youngest werewolf. 

Theo smirked. “Lori’s. I assume he’s not coming home tonight.”

Brett flicked Theo’s arm as a wide grin made its way onto Scott’s face. “So they finally got their act together, huh?”

“They still beat Theo and Liam by like three months,” Brett added, and it was the chimera’s turn to flick his best friend. It resulted in the two hitting each other more and more violently, until they both ended on the floor, and Argent threatened to ground them both.

“You can’t ground me, I don’t even live here,” Brett retorted with a sneer, but they stopped and got up. 

Theo noticed Scott’s lopsided smile and misty eyes. “Scott?”

The alpha shook his head. “Nothing. It’s just… nice to see you guys. I know I told my mom that I wasn’t hurt that bad, but I didn’t want to worry her. Seeing you guys just makes it hurt a little less, you know?”

The weight in Theo’s chest that had appeared after he heard about the attack and never really left grew heavier. “Scott, you can come back here. It’s just one lab, you need to actually rest to get better.”

Argent nodded. “He’s right. I know you’re used to carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders, but you need time off too,” he said with a small smile, and a flash of longing crossed Scott’s face.

Theo could tell that the alpha was almost convinced, so he hurriedly kept talking. “And it’s been a while since you’ve seen everyone. Liam and Isaac and Alec- you know they all miss you.”

The wistfulness on Scott’s face was clear now, and the chimera internally cheered. 

“I guess one weekend off wouldn’t be _that_ bad,” Scott began slowly. “Malia’s been saying that she’s been missing running out on the preserve recently.”

Brett threw an arm around Theo’s shoulder. “See, win-win. You can rest and Malia will be happy. And you should probably keep your girlfriend happy when she can full-shift into a violent, savage werecoyote.”

Theo snickered while Scott flipped Brett off. “Where is Malia anyway?”

“She went to get soup from the store. Mom threatened me and said if I didn’t eat soup, she was gonna come up here and finish what the witch started,” Scott replied, laughing. 

“Don’t worry, Scott. Your mom doesn’t need to wait long to get her wish,” a soft voice hissed through the screen, and everyone froze. 

Scott jumped up, shifting, but with his injuries, he didn't have his normal strength or reflexes. A figure appeared on the screen, and Theo’s heart sank. 

It happened so quick, Theo didn’t even have time to process it. The witch’s hand moved, and the next thing the chimera knew, Scott gasped, and there was something lodged in the alpha’s chest. 

“SCOTT!” Theo, Brett, and Argent all screamed. 

Blood dripped down the alpha’s chin, and a wicked grin formed on the witch’s face. She turned to the camera, looking right at them, taking delight in their panicked faces. 

“Oh, how the true alpha falls,” she trilled gleefully. “Guess the rumors aren’t so true after all.”

Before anyone could say a word, she flicked her hand, and the screen cut to black. 

“Scott!” Theo yelled desperately, his blood running cold. “Scott!”

He collapsed into a chair, running both his hands through his hair. Argent and Brett were both shellshocked, frozen as they stared at the black laptop screen.

Another few moments passed in silence, and then Theo fished his phone out of his pocket.

“Liam,” he said once his boyfriend picked up. “Come over, _now_. And tell the rest of the pack too. We’re going to Davis.”

“Theo? What happened? Is everything okay?” The chimera heard movement through the phone, and assumed Liam was rushing to his car.

Theo exhaled sharply. “No.”

The other end of the phone was suddenly silent. “Theo, what happened?” Liam asked, and he could hear the fear in the werewolf’s voice.

“It’s Scott,” Theo finally said. “He’s been hurt. Badly.”


	5. Chapter 5

Despite the fact that it usually takes _hours_ to get the whole pack ready for a trip, it took less than ten minutes this time. Mostly due to the fact that everyone was too scared to think about anything but Scott.

Argent had told Melissa what happened, and she had broken down. She had wanted to come, but she was needed at the hospital. Theo promised her that they would bring Scott back safely. 

Brett had notified Lori and Alec, but refused to let them come. The two young werewolves were pissed, but eventually gave in when Theo had pleaded with them that Melissa needed _someone_ \- they couldn’t leave her alone during this. 

An hour later, the pack was at Davis. The ride had been tense- Brett had explained what happened and everyone was beyond frightened. Theo’s jaw was clenched so tight, his teeth began to hurt, and Liam grabbed his hand to stroke circles softly with his thumb, trying to calm him down. Argent had barely put the vehicle into park before Theo was jumping out. 

Before they could go anywhere however, a loud cackle caught their attention. Theo and Liam, who had been at the front, screeched to a stop and turned around. The witch was nowhere in sight, but then a pained cry pierced the silent campus, and Theo growled when he recognized that it was Scott. He quickly shifted and ran off in the direction of the sound- Liam, Brett, and Argent quickly following him. Mason caught the keys that Argent threw at him, and frantically rushed back into the car along with Nolan and Corey. 

Theo was the first to reach the clearing where Scott was, and he almost cried at the sight. The alpha was on his knees, a pool of blood around him. His arms were tied to stakes in the ground next to him, and his head hung low, chin touching his chest. 

“Oh, you made it!” The witch exclaimed happily. Her long hair and dress blew in the wind as she stood above Scott. “You’re just in time to see the downfall of your _precious_ true alpha.”

Liam’s eyes flashed gold, and a loud snarl escaped his mouth. “What do you want?”

She turned to the beta, a bitter expression settling on her face. “What do I want? I want him _dead_.”

Theo was at the end of his patience, and he seethed out an angry “Why?”

“Oh, _Theo_. You, of all people, should know why. It hasn’t been that long since you wanted the same thing,” the witch replied, giggling. Her mood swings were giving the chimera a headache, but he needed to keep her attention on him and not Scott.

“What does a witch have to gain from the true alpha’s death? You don’t have a pack,” Theo hissed.

“But I had a family!” the witch screeched suddenly, taking the teenagers by surprise. “I had a family, and _he_ took that away from me.”

“Scott has _never_ killed anyone. He couldn’t have taken away your family,” Brett said, and the witch gave him a thin smile.

“Oh, no, _Scott_ didn’t kill them. The _hunter_ did. But guess who’s fault it was that the hunter came back in the first place?” she asked them with a biting tone. “ _His_.”

Suddenly, everything clicked in Theo’s brain. “ _Gerard_.”

“That _monster_ killed my eight-year old son. He wasn’t even supernatural,” the witch’s voice was somber. “But Gerard didn’t care. He killed him in cold blood, just to get to _me_. I lost everything that day.” She looked up at them with an icy expression. “And now you will too.”

She flicked her hand, and all four of them were suddenly tied. Another move of her hand, and they were forced onto their knees. 

“You will watch,” the witch said as she made her way back to Scott, “Watch as I _destroy_ the true alpha, just like _I_ watched my son die.” She lifted Scott’s chin with a finger. A grotesque smile split her face, moonlight glistening on her teeth. 

Just as she opened her mouth, a loud growl echoed through the clearing, and Theo saw a dark mass hit the witch. 

The chimera sighed in relief. _Malia, thank god_. 

The werecoyote snarled, digging her claws into the other woman. _Shit_.

“Malia, no!” Theo yelled. She ignored him.

The sound of skidding tires filled the air, and Corey and Nolan rushed out to untie everyone before Mason even stopped completely. As soon as he was free, Theo ran over to Malia. 

“Malia,” Theo said, his eyes widening at how much blood surrounded the two women. “ _Malia_ , _listen to me_. You have to stop, you can’t kill her.”

The werecoyote raised her head and growled at the chimera. The witch’s eyes were fluttering and she let out a low groan. 

“ _Malia_ , think about Scott.” She looked up, pausing at the alpha’s name. Theo continued quickly, before she turned her attention back to the body under her. “Do you think Scott would want you to kill her?”

_That_ got to the werecoyote, and she slowly shifted back, and a blushing Nolan quickly handed her the clothes she had ripped off before she attacked the witch. 

The witch was motionless on the ground, but Malia yanked her up carelessly, bringing her face to hers, eyes flashing.

“You come near _any of us_ ever again, and next time, I won’t stop,” Malia hissed, and it was silent for so long that Theo was afraid she had already died, but then she let out a shaky breath.

“Your pack is… is too nice for your own good,” the witch said, her breath hitching. “Someday, that will… will hurt you.”

Scott finally made his way to the witch still in Malia’s grip, supported heavily by Liam and Brett. His face was still bloody, and Theo had to hold back his anger. Seeing his alpha, his _brother_ , in that condition did not make him feel any sympathy for the witch, but the logical part of his brain reminded him of her cause. Though that didn’t justify her actions, Theo understood where she was coming from. Gerard was the worst mistake the pack had made, and it had cost the lives of hundreds of innocent people- the witch’s son being one of them.

“I truly am sorry for Gerard,” the alpha told the witch, guilt on his face. “And I’m sorry about your son. I know this means nothing now, but I would do anything to go back and change what I did.” 

Theo knew that Argent was the one who ultimately saved Gerard. However, Scott had also relied on the old hunter heavily and his hopelessness with the Beast was what led to Argent’s actions. The alpha always took the blame for everything, and this was just another thing that wasn’t completely his fault, but he would be convinced it was.

“You’re a good alpha, Scott McCall,” the witch said quietly, and Malia slowly put her down. She was too weak though, and her knees gave out. Argent quickly moved forward to catch her, and she smiled weakly. “Even after everything I did to you, you _still_ care. Guess the rumors are true after all.”

She closed her eyes, and the pack exchanged panicked looks, wondering if she had died. A small laugh reached their ears, and their eyes snapped back to the witch. “I’m not dead. Although,” her eyes opened, and Theo could see the longing and sadness in them, “I’d be with my family if I was. With my son.”

Scott cleared his throat softly. “Uh, you never told us your nam-”

“Elina. My name’s Elina. My son’s name was James.” 

Scott gasped loudly, and Theo, along with the rest of the pack, turned to him questioningly. 

Elina gave the alpha a faint, sad smile. “You remember him, don’t you?”

“Yeah,” Scott breathed out, and Theo could smell the anguish rolling off of him in violent waves. “I never… never knew what happened to him. I was only volunteering there for the summer, and then I left for college.”

Theo made the connections in his head quickly, and he realized Scott was talking about the daycare he had spent his time at during the summer, teaching elementary schoolers lacrosse. Suddenly, a distant memory made its way to the front of the chimera’s brain- Scott mentioning a little boy whose name started with J at a pack meeting, saying the kid reminded him a little of himself when he was younger. Close to his mom, had no dad, not the most popular kid in school. 

“He was all I had. I had him when I was 17, and his dad wasn’t in the picture, so he never had a male role-model. But he… he looked up to you so much. You were his hero,” Elina said, and her eyes glazed over, and Theo knew she was lost in the past, “He’d tell me about his lacrosse coach Scott every day- how you always helped him, included him, _cared_ about him. When I found out that your pack was the one that saved Gerard, I-”

She broke off, a sob escaping her lips. “I was _livid_. The guy my son had looked up to, had _idolized_ , was part of the reason he… he died.”

The alpha was holding back tears, and Theo felt the lump in his throat too. One quick look around showed that everyone else was just as affected. Liam and Brett, still holding up Scott, were solemn as they stared at the witch. Mason, Corey, and Nolan were all crying, tears staining their cheeks. Malia looked remorseful, her head hung low, and Theo wondered if she was thinking about her little sister. And Argent, standing behind Elina and supporting her weight, had his jaw clenched, but Theo recognized that it was out of guilt, not anger. 

“My blame was misplaced, I know. But at the time, I couldn’t think properly. The only thing in my head was to make you feel the pain that I felt,” Elina continued, her eyes finding Scott’s. “But you don’t deserve that. This pain… I wish it on no one. It crushes your heart, poisons every inch of your skin, until all you are is-” she exhales slowly. “All you are is a hollow shell of who you were.”

Theo felt the tears making their way down his face. Her words brought up memories that he had wanted to forget- nights he’d spend in excruciating agony with the Dread Doctors until he became numb, nights he’d almost break down from the torment he could never escape, nights he remembered he was alone in the world, no one to hold him and say it’s okay, no one to love him. He _knew_ that pain. He had felt that pain for almost _ten_ _years_. And Elina was right- he would never wish that on anyone.

“Elina,” Scott said, his voice hoarse from crying. “Do you want to come back to Beacon Hills with us? You… you deserve a pack. I know we’re not the best, but we’ll do everything we can to protect you. No one deserves what happened to you.”

The pack waited apprehensively for her answer while a small smile settled on Elina’s face. “I’d… I’d like that.” 

The ride back to Beacon Hills was silent- the mood just as somber as it was on the way _to_ Davis, but for a completely different reason. Theo had attempted to bandage Elina’s wounds as best as he could, but he wasn’t a professional, and they needed to get her to Melissa _fast_. 

Argent drove directly to the hospital, and Theo and Brett helped her in as Liam and Argent helped Scott. The commotion caught Melissa’s attention from the front desk, and she let out a relieved cry when she saw Scott. She ran over and enveloped him in a tight hug, until Scott muttered that she was breaking his ribs. 

“Mom, she needs more help than I do,” the alpha stated, and five minutes later, the pack was sitting in the hallway as they waited for Scott and Elina to be tended to. 

Theo leaned his head back against the wall behind the chair he was in, suddenly exhausted as the night’s events all came back to him in a rush. He felt Liam sit down next to him and lay his head on the chimera’s shoulder, the weight a familiar anchor that he desperately needed at the moment. Theo grabbed the werewolf’s hand and squeezed. Liam reciprocated the motion, and Theo closed his eyes. 

Because all they could do now was wait.


	6. Chapter 6

Theo was shaken awake, and he sleepily blinked, the bright lights attacking his vision.

“Parrish?” The deputy was standing above him, and Theo looked around, noticing that all of the Puppy Pack was gone. 

“Melissa forced them all to go to school, she said they miss enough of it already,” Parrish explained, apparently noticing his confusion. 

“What are you doing here?” Theo asked. rubbing his eyes to get rid of the sleep. 

The hellhound turned to him with a serious expression. “Are you okay?”

Suddenly, all of it came rushing back, and Theo jerked up. “Scott! Is he-”

“Scott’s okay, Theo. His healing took over and he’s pretty much recovered.”

The chimera furrowed his brows. “But then why… why did his healing not work after the first attack?”

“Wolfsbane mixed with some spell. The witch clearly knew what she was doing,” Parrish answered, and Theo was reminded of their newest pack member.

“You talk to her yet?” He asked the deputy next to him, and Parrish shook his head.

“Scott mentioned that she was part of the pack now, but I haven’t even seen her. The sheriff sent me over to check in on everyone, but Melissa refused to let me in. She said that she was still too weak.”

“Anyway,” the deputy broke the solemn silence that had settled, “Enough about the bad stuff, what’s going on in your life? And,” Parrish asked grinning. “Did I see Alec and Lori kissing this morning or was I hallucinating?”

Theo smirked at the mention of the new couple, and was grateful for the change in subject. “No, you saw right. He asked her to the dance. Even made me hold a boombox and everything,” he replied, laughing. 

“That, I would’ve paid to see,” the hellhound declared. “What about you and Liam?”

“We’re good,” the chimera responded, a soft, shy smile taking over his face, just like every time he thought about the werewolf. He eyed the deputy next to him. “What about you? It’s been what, five months since you’ve been on a date?”

Parrish shoved Theo’s shoulder lightly, rolling his eyes. “Being a police officer and a supernatural protector is _kind of_ a full-time job. And besides,” he smiled sadly, one corner of his mouth tilting down, “Being able to light myself on fire is a _pretty_ big turn-off for most women.”

Theo understood what he was saying. Being supernatural… it basically takes over your life. And having a partner that didn’t know about it was… not ideal. It’s why everyone in the pack was dating someone already in the pack- they know the shit they deal with everyday, and they know that the other person won’t take their things and run when things get bad. 

“Hey, someday you’ll find someone that understands,” Theo comforted, nudging Parrish, “We all did.”

Parrish opened his mouth to respond, but then the door to Elina’s room opened, and Melissa walked out, noticing that Theo was awake. 

“Oh good, you’re up. She’s doing a lot better, and I need to go check in on Scott, so are you guys okay watching her for a bit?” Melissa had been wary when the alpha firmly stated that the witch was now a part of the pack, but she eventually accepted it. Theo guessed that part of the reason she was pretty forgiving was because she never saw what the witch did to Scott. Although the chimera was sympathetic to Elina’s past, a small part of him was still angry about what she had done.

“Yeah,” Parrish told the nurse, standing up. “Go check in on your son.” 

Melissa gave them a grateful smile, and walked off. Theo and Parrish entered the witch’s hospital room. 

Elina had her eyes closed, breathing slowly as the heart monitor next to her beeped steadily. Melissa had evidently cleaned her up, and the blood that was on her face and hair last night was gone. 

Theo glanced at Parrish out of the corner of his eye, and his lips quirked down when he saw the hellhound’s wide eyes. The chimera was worried something was wrong, but then he noticed the slight red tint to Parrish’s ears. _Oh_. 

A small smirk made its way onto his face, but he wiped it off before the deputy could see it. 

“You said she had… had a son?” Parrish asked, his voice quiet and hesitant. 

Theo almost laughed. “Were you expecting a super old, warts on her face, has a crooked nose, witch? You really need to stop watching those stupid horror movies with Isaac.”

Parrish blushed, his mouth opening and closing as he tried to find the words to say. “She’s just- she’s a lot- she’s young.”

Theo sighed, all laughter draining from his face. “She is. She had her son really young, and she’s… she’s been through a lot. If Scott hadn’t asked her to be in the pack, I would’ve said something. Gerard took… he took everything from her.”

Before Parrish could answer, Theo’s phone buzzed and he smiled at the name on the screen. 

“Liam, hey,” and Theo walked out of the room, motioning to the deputy that he’d be back. “You at lunch?” 

“Please, as if you even need to ask. I'm a hundred percent sure you have my whole schedule memorized,” Liam replied dryly, but Theo could hear the amusement in his voice. 

“I’m not confirming or denying that statement,” Theo drawled, moving out of the way of a nurse who glared at him for standing in the middle of the hallway. “Is everything okay? You never call me from school.”

“Everything’s fine,” Liam sighed out. “You good?”

“Yeah? Should I not be?” he asked his boyfriend, confused where this was going.

“No, no,” the werewolf said quickly. “I just wanted to make sure you were good. Just checking in, you know?”

“Okay,” Theo said slowly, “Liam, what’s going on?” He’s known the younger boy long enough to pick up on his every mood, and he seemed _annoyed_. 

“Don’t laugh-” is all Theo heard before Liam’s voice faded and a lot of noise burst out from the phone. He heard Liam’s indignant cry as the phone was taken from him.

“Liam’s calling you because Alec and Lori are kissing, Brett and Nolan are cuddling, and me and Corey are holding hands. And he feels left out.” Mason’s blunt voice filled Theo’s ear, and the chimera smiled widely. 

“Give the phone back to him, Mason,” he told the human, and he heard the phone shifting hands. 

“You’re laughing, aren’t you?” Liam asked, clearly miffed. 

“No,” and it wasn’t a lie, because he was _grinning_ , not _laughing_. “You lonely, Little Wolf?”

“Fuck off,” Liam snapped. “This wouldn’t be a problem if we stayed at the hospital like I wanted to.”

“Yeah, I’m sure Lydia’s mom would take ‘I’m lonely and miss my boyfriend’ as a valid excuse for ditching school,” Theo heard Brett call out, and he snickered when he heard his best friend yelp when something hit him. 

“I’ll see you in like an hour, okay? I’ll pick all of you up, and we can go to that diner you like,” Theo announced, and Liam snorted.

“A quadruple date? Really, Theo?” When Theo started to answer, Liam cut him off. “Wait, what about Elina? You sure we can leave her alone?”

Theo paused, and peaked into the hospital room. The sight that met his eyes left a huge smirk on his face. Elina had woken up, and Parrish was sitting in a chair right next to the bed. The chimera noted the pink flush on both of their faces, and laughed quietly. “I think she’ll be _just_ fine.”

At Liam’s confused noise, Theo chuckled. “Her and Parrish seem to be getting along really well.”

A chorus of surprised sounds erupted from the phone, and Theo assumed he had been on speaker. 

“Elina and _Parrish_?” Brett asked, disbelief coloring his tone. The chimera peeked back into the room, making sure that his eyes weren’t playing tricks on him.

“Elina and Parrish,” Theo confirmed.

__________________________________

Theo had ended up _not_ going back into Elina’s room. He signaled to Parrish that he had to leave, and the deputy barely acknowledged him- too focused on the witch in front of him- before the chimera was walking off in the direction of Scott’s room. 

“Theo, did you leave Elina alone?” Melissa asked in an accusing tone as the chimera let himself into the room, and Theo grinned.

“No, she’s in good hands,” he replied, and Scott and Melissa both looked at him with furrowed brows.

Theo simply raised his eyebrow, and a look of understanding passed Melissa’s face. And then she smirked. “Parrish?”

“Parrish.” Theo said, and Scott let out a noise from the back of his throat.

“But Parrish hasn’t met her yet…” Scott trailed off as it hit him, and a slow smile spread on his face.

Theo snickered, and made his way to the alpha. “How are you? I heard your healing kicked in.”

“Yeah, I’m all healed. I’m going back tomorrow,” Scott replied, and Theo felt a pang in his chest.

“Already? I thought you decided to stay.”

Scott sighed and placed a hand on the chimera’s shoulder. “I can’t. But I’m just an hour away, Theo.” The alpha looked at his mom, who had stayed silent during the exchange. “And I’ll be visiting more often. This whole thing made me realize that I need my pack around me, I need… need my family.”

Theo guessed that Melissa had talked to her son about it already, and he nodded. His face must have revealed his true feelings though, because Scott took one look at him and pulled him into a hug. The chimera sank into the touch, it’s been _months_. 

They eventually pulled back, and Theo suddenly remembered he was supposed to pick up the Puppy Pack. “Oh shit, I’m gonna be late.”

“Liam?” Melissa asked with a smile, and Theo nodded.

“And the rest of them. They all need a chance to relax after last night,” the chimera explained, and realization passed Scott’s face.

“Tell Alec that he better come home tonight,” the nurse remarked, narrowing her eyes at Theo, and he laughed. 

“Yeah, I’ll tell him,” he replied, getting up and saying bye to his family before he walked out of the room, walking to the front door. 

Theo felt a buzz in his pocket and he took his phone out. 

_If you’re not here in the next five minutes, I’m gonna kill Brett, then you, and then myself. Him and Nolan have been making out for the last ten minutes_

_TEN MINUTES!_

_I don’t think they’re even breathing_

_Nolan's turning purple_

Theo chuckled at the threat, an obvious reference to when the chimera had said the same thing at the holiday party months ago.

_Calm down, I’m on my way_

Theo pocketed his phone and got into his truck, pulling out and driving to the school.


	7. Chapter 7

“I’m gonna kill you.”

Scott winced. “Stiles-”

“No. I’m gonna kill you. I’m on my way to the airport right now,” Stiles deadpanned on the screen of Scott’s laptop, his eyes blazing. 

Theo didn’t know whether to laugh or be scared. He was heavily leaning toward the latter, because the human looked dead serious. “Stiles, we were gonna tell you but-”

“Theo, shut up.” 

Theo shut up.

“After the hunters, I made you swear to me that you wouldn’t leave me out anymore,” Stiles continued, and the chimera could tell he was hurt under all the fury. “ _Why_ didn’t you tell me how bad it was? I would’ve come back.”

“Stiles, we didn’t know it was gonna turn out the way it did. I got attacked, but we thought that was it,” Scott explained, and cut his best friend off when he opened his mouth. “I’m being _honest_. We didn’t know.”

“I don’t care if you didn’t know what was gonna happen,” Stiles yelled, and the alpha’s eyes widened at the harsh tone. “You should’ve called after you got attacked. The _first_ time. All you did was send a one sentence text saying you got hurt and that was _it_.” The human visibly deflated. “What if you died? Scott, _what if you died?_ ”

Theo realized that this was about more than just Scott not telling Stiles. This was about Stiles being across the country, not being able to do anything if something happened to his best friend. This was about Stiles being fucking _terrified_ that something _would_ happen and he wouldn’t be there to save his best friend like he’d been doing for the last three years.

“That wouldn’t have happened,” the alpha stated firmly, and Stiles’ eyes tightened again.

“You don’t _fucking_ know that, Scott!” the human screamed.

“Stiles, what is this really about?” Scott asked gently, his warm “alpha” tone instantly calming Theo, even though he wasn’t even agitated. 

Stiles sighed heavily. Theo was beginning to think that this was a conversation that he shouldn’t be here for- Stiles clearly has been struggling with this for a while, and Scott being hurt was the last straw for him, and he needed just his best friend right now, not Theo.

The chimera quietly slipped out of the kitchen, letting the two best friends work things out, like they always do. 

He made his way up to his room, where the rest of the Puppy Pack were all sitting around, playing Uno. 

“Stiles is still yelling at Scott isn’t he?” Brett questioned as soon as Theo entered, and he nodded.

“He’s like ten levels above pissed. But I mean, it makes sense why,” the chimera responded, settling down next to Liam, who immediately leaned into him. “I’d be too, if any of you pulled that shit.”

The pack went back to their game, and after a while of watching, Theo felt his eyelids drooping. He sunk back into Liam, who shifted slightly so that the chimera was sitting between his legs, his head on the werewolf’s chest. 

He drifted off, listening to Liam’s steady heartbeat. 

__________________________________

Spring break had finally arrived, and the entire pack was coming back in Beacon Hills. Theo would’ve gone with Scott to pick up Stiles, Lydia, and Derek from the airport and Isaac and Malia from their houses, but he wasn’t completely sure Stiles wouldn’t attack the alpha as soon as they met and he wasn’t in the mood to witness a crime scene.

The alpha seemed just as nervous, because he spent twenty minutes trying to convince Theo or Alec to go with him.

“Guys, Stiles might kill me. You don’t want this to be the last time you see me, right?”

Alec snorted, jumping up to sit on the counter. “Derek will be there. You’ll be fine.”

“But it’s _Stiles_.”

“And you’re _Scott_ ,” Theo retorted, leaning on the counter next to Alec. “The true alpha. Who’s scared of his human best friend.”

The alpha flipped them both off, before picking up his keys and leaving. A few minutes after, Theo got a call from Liam.

“Is he gone?” the werewolf asked immediately after Theo picked up.

“Scott?” the chimera clarified.

“Yes, Scott,” Liam said impatiently. Theo glanced at Alec, confused, before telling Liam yes.

“Oh, thank god. We’re on our way.” Theo barely got a word out before the line went dead.

Five minutes later, the front door slammed open, and the Puppy Pack sauntered in, and Theo blinked blankly for a few seconds when they entered the kitchen. 

Liam and Brett were both carrying what looked like buckets of already filled water balloons, while Nolan trailed behind them with a bunch of silly string cans. Mason, Corey, and Lori all had their arms full with whipped cream cans.

Theo stared at them for a few seconds before understanding dawned on him. “Stiles?”

“Stiles. He recruited us to get all this shit from the store and have it all ready before he got here,” Liam explained, as everyone placed all the stuff on the counter. “He said he has something for the big finale though.”

A good brother would warn Scott.

A few seconds passed as Theo thought about it. 

Well, he wasn’t _that_ good of a brother. And with that conclusion settled, Theo smirked. “Well, let’s get everything ready then.”

Thirty minutes later, the chimera heard Scott’s car roll into the driveway. He got in position, the rest of the Puppy Pack doing the same, and they formed a semi-circle around the doorway. Everyone had a water balloon in one hand, and a can of either whipped cream or silly string in the other.

“I can hear their heartbeats, so I guess they’re already here,” Scott’s voice broke the silence, and Theo guessed he was talking to the older pack. He glanced at Liam, who grinned, his eyes bright with excitement. The chimera aimed his water balloon at the door, prepared to launch it. 

The door swung open and Scott appeared, not even fully in the house yet. Stiles had apparently let the rest of the older pack in on his plan, because they were all standing about five feet from the door, not wanting to get caught in the crossfire. Lydia and Issac both had their phones out, obviously recording the alpha. 

Chaos ensued.

All seven water balloons hit Scott, and he gasped in surprise at the cold water. He got no break however, and a second later, he was being covered in a gross blend of whipped cream and silly string. Brett paused his whipped cream attack to pick up more water balloons, and soon, Scott was being pelted with those too. 

Theo had assumed that the alpha would fight back, but apparently, he had resigned to his fate and simply stood there. Eventually, the water balloons were depleted, and the Puppy Pack decided that he was covered in enough of the other things. 

Scott stood there, unmoving, and Stiles and the rest of the pack finally entered the house, sidestepping the alpha. 

“You learn your lesson?” Stiles asked the alpha, a floppy grin on his face.

“ _Yeah_ , get a new best friend,” Scott retorted, and Stiles' smile widened even further.

“That’s what I hoped you’d say,” he said happily, and before anyone could do anything, Stiles took a big container of glitter out from his bag and dumped the contents on the alpha.

Laughter exploded among the pack, and multiple phones were pulled out to capture the sight. Scott’s wet clothes made it easy for the glitter to stick, and he looked like a preschooler’s messed-up art project from head to toe. 

“I really need a new best friend,” Scott sighed, and giggles erupted again. 

Theo heard footsteps on the stairs, and he was suddenly reminded of the fact that Melissa and Argent were home. 

“What the hell is going on here?” Melissa asked as she took in everyone surrounding the front door. Then her gaze landed on Scott, and her eyes widened. 

“Scott, honey, you take a single step in the house like that, and you’re grounded till you die,” she threatened but she was holding back laughter, and pulled out her phone to take a picture of her son. 

“What the hell am I supposed to do? Strip in front of the whole neighborhood?” Scott asked sarcastically and Theo snorted, his eyes flicking to the house right across from them.

“I have a pretty good feeling that Sydney wouldn’t mind,” he said, and Scott flinched at the name. Sydney was a junior that lived in the house across from them, and had a _colossal_ crush on the alpha. The alpha had tried to gently let her down numerous times, telling her that he had a girlfriend, but the girl was infatuated. 

“Absolutely not, that _kid_ isn’t seeing any part of my boyfriend,” Malia growled, and grabbed Scott’s hand and dragged him to the backyard from the outside. Theo heard the hose, and five minutes later, the alpha was back at the door, dripping wet, but free of all the other stuff. Well, _almost_ all of the other stuff.

“I’m gonna be finding glitter for days,” Scott growled at Stiles as he made his way into the house and up the stairs.

“That’s the point,” Stiles called out to his best friend. “Don’t mess with me next time.”

The human looked back at the rest of the pack, who had finally calmed down from all their laughter. 

“Okay, now that that’s over,” Stiles announced, “Everyone with videos or pictures, send them to the group chat.”


	8. Chapter 8

Theo was stuck cooking for the pack party _again_ but this time, he had Liam and Isaac helping him. They weren’t the best cooks, but at least they were good at doing what Theo told them to do. 

“ _No_ , Liam, you’re supposed to put the sauce _after_ , not _now,_ ” the chimera groaned. Okay, so maybe Liam wasn’t that good at following instructions either.

The werewolf threw his hands up in frustration. “Theo, I love you, but I’m fucking _done_.”

Theo froze. 

Liam seemed oblivious to what had just happened, but then suddenly it seemed to hit him and he froze, turning to the chimera. Theo noticed Isaac watching them out of the corner of his eye, a small smirk on his face.

“Wait- That’s not what I meant. Not that I don’t!” Liam blurted out. “I just- I- I didn’t mean to say that.”

The chimera put the knife in his hand down (feeling a lot less murderous than he had been last time, with Brett) and took a deep breath. His heart was jumping all over the place and his brain had definitely short-circuited. 

“I love you, Liam.” And his mouth apparently wasn’t listening to his brain anymore. Liam’s eyes widened and then a huge smile lit up his face. He rushed forward and kissed the chimera, and Theo melted into his touch. 

“That was cute,” Isaac said, and Theo jumped back at the reminder that there was someone else in the room with them, “But the vegetables are burning.”

Theo swore and pushed away from his boyfriend, rushing to the stove where the vegetables were indeed burnt. Liam called out that he was leaving and sending Brett in his place, and before Theo could protest, the werewolf was already halfway up the stairs. 

Brett came down a few minutes later, and smirked at Theo. “A little birdy told me that you and Liam finally said ‘I love you’ to each other.”

Theo groaned. “Are they talking about that upstairs?”

The werewolf laughed. “Oh yeah, Mason’s getting a play-by-play from Liam,” he said with a wide grin. Theo groaned again as Isaac let out a bark of laughter. 

Brett ended up being a lot more helpful than last time, and thirty minutes later, the three of them were putting the final touches on all the dishes. Everyone was coming over again, and Scott had mentioned that there would be one more person this time, but refused to tell anyone who it was. 

Just as Theo was placing a stack of plates on the countertop, he heard the front door open and footsteps filled the hallway. 

Scott called out Theo’s name, asking him where he was.

“Kitchen!” he replied and soon, an endless stream of people entered the room. 

“Meet Cora,” Stiles said, and the chimera suddenly noticed the girl standing in between Derek and Scott. “Derek’s sister.”

“Theo,” the chimera stated. “And Brett,” he added, pointing at his best friend.

“Hey Cora,” Isaac said softly, and Theo turned to him, surprised at his gentle voice. The tips of his ears were pink, and his eyes were squinted in a broad smile. 

Theo caught Brett’s eye, who apparently had noticed the same thing, and they both smirked. They had been making fun of Isaac for not dating anyone just minutes before, but Cora’s arrival might just take care of that problem. 

“We’ll leave you guys to catch up,” Brett announced, and him and Theo quickly exited the kitchen. The rest of the older pack stayed, but the chimera could tell that they had noticed the tension between Isaac and Cora too. 

The two boys made their way up to Theo’s room, and Liam jumped onto the chimera as soon as he entered. 

Theo stumbled back with an _oof_ , his back slamming into the wall behind him. Before he could ask what the hell the werewolf was thinking, Liam kissed him. And all thoughts flew out of Theo’s head, and he kissed back just as hard.

“Not that I’m complaining, but what was that for?” he asked as soon as Liam pulled back.

“I love you,” the younger boy replied, his eyes shining with joy.

“You two are gonna be even more unbearable than before now,” Alec complained, and Theo dropped Liam back onto his own feet.

“Don’t make me list all the times I’ve caught you and Lori making out,” Theo threatened, smacking the back of his brother’s head, snickering at the werewolf's cry. “And all the times I covered for you when you stayed the night at Lori’s.”

“I’m traumatized, guys. Seriously,” Brett grumbled, wrapping an arm around Nolan. “I think I spend more time sleeping here than I do in my own apartment.”

“Like you can talk,” Lori retorted, and soon, the room was filled with arguments about which couple was the worst at PDA. 

Ten minutes later, Brett and Nolan were crowned the winners, and Theo herded the Puppy Pack downstairs. The adults had all arrived and Theo wanted to see if Parrish and Elina finally accepted that they were perfect for each other. 

The chimera was not disappointed- the two were sitting so close on the couch, they were practically on top of each other, and had their hands intertwined between them.

The Puppy Pack all cheered at the sight, and Parrish blushed heavily. Elina had a shy smile on her face, but Theo could smell her embarrassment. 

“Okay, okay, enough making fun of Parrish and Elina guys,” Scott interjected, the corners of his mouth tilting up.

“Yeah, I agree,” Brett added, and Theo’s lips quirked. He knew Brett like the back of his hand, and he was absolutely certain that the next words of the werewolf’s mouth would be embarrassing for _someone_. “Parrish and Elina are old news. Isaac and Cora, however…” The blond trailed off with a smirk and a pointed look at the two werewolves.

Isaac and Cora both flushed, and the pack exploded in laughter. Derek threw an arm over Isaac’s shoulder. “Hurt her, I kill you.” Isaac’s blush grew deeper and he muttered that they had literally met after two years ten minutes ago.

Melissa took pity on the tall werewolf, and forced everyone back into the kitchen to eat. The next couple of hours were simply just the pack hanging out and catching up with each other. They didn’t have the time to do this often, and were happy for any time they could. 

“Theo, you need to teach me how to cook,” Lydia told him. The party had quieted down, and everyone was in the living room, draped over any furniture they could find. But the sheer amount of people was too much for the number of couches, and most of them were on the floor. “Especially the lasagna you made last time.”

The chimera blushed, and agreed. He suddenly saw Stiles’ evil smirk, and he began to panic.

“Stiles-” Before he could finish his threat, a hand covered his mouth, and he felt Brett’s presence behind him. 

“Go ahead Stiles, I’ve been waiting for this to come out for _months_ ,” his best friend said, and Theo attempted to take his hand off his mouth. But Brett was strong, and he tightened his grip on the chimera. Theo flicked his eyes to Liam, hopeful that his boyfriend would be on his side, but the werewolf was simply smirking, enjoying Theo’s predicament. 

“The food that Theo made last time, he chose them for a reason,” Stiles declared, and the pack all seemed confused. “He made the lasagna because it’s Liam’s favorite, stir fry because it’s Brett’s favorite, and the apple pie for Alec.” 

The pack’s eyes widened, not expecting the reasoning behind Theo’s cooking. “In conclusion, Theo is the biggest softie in the pack,” Stiles finished, and Brett finally released the chimera. “I told you I was never letting that go,” the human told Theo, his eyes bright with amusement.

A chorus of _awws_ burst out from everyone, and Theo felt his entire face light up red. 

“That is _adorable_ ,” Lydia said, and Theo wanted to take the attention off of him. _Fast_.

“Stiles got drunk and cried because Derek told him he had a boyfriend, even though _he_ was the boyfriend,” Theo blurted out, and Stiles turned to him in surprise.

“How do you know that? Scott’s the only one who knows that,” he asked, narrowing his eyes at his best friend. Scott raised his hands in surrender, shaking his head. 

Theo smirked and pointed at his ears. “You’re not as quiet as you think you are.”

Stiles looked indignant. “Well, Theo has a picture of him and Liam as his lock screen.” Theo snorted. 

“Wow, how surprising. I have a picture of me and my _boyfriend_ as my lock screen,” he said dryly. “Stiles called Scott a month ago, losing his mind, because he wasn’t sure if he was _pregnant_.”

The room exploded in laughter, and Stiles blushed. “I thought it might be different for werewolves,” he mumbled, but then his face grew annoyed and he turned to Scott. “The next time I call you, leave your goddamn house. It’s infested with eavesdroppers.”

The alpha laughed. “Okay, Stiles,” he agreed, patting his best friend’s shoulder. 

The pack settled down again, and Theo looked around, retreating into his thoughts. A year ago, if anyone had told him that he would be a part of the McCall pack, have a _family_ , and be dating Liam, he would check them into Eichen House as fast as he could. But this… it felt _normal_. 

And Theo was so fucking glad that he stayed at the sheriff’s station at five in the morning all those months ago.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnd that's a wrap! For this story at least.
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed, and stay tuned for some more one-shots or short stories in the series!


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